By Dina Rosin (CMC ’20), Foreign Correspondent Throughout Middle Eastern and North African countries where Islam dominates both the social and political spheres of life, the rights of women often differ from traditional Western expectations. The legality of polygamy in many Muslim countries limits women’s rights by international human rights standards. The International Covenant on Civil...
Dina Rosin (CMC ’20) After the 2016 Super Bowl, CBS aired a live version of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. There was a surprise appearance by then-President Obama, where he mentioned that after every Super Bowl he calls the winning team, and sometimes the losing team. “Especially if I bet on them,” he added. Colbert replied, “But Mr. President, betting is illegal,” to which Obama...
Dina Rosin (CMC ’20) When America’s founding fathers declared independence from Great Britain, they wrote that “all men are created equal,” and thus, all deserved a vote. Throughout U.S. history, voter eligibility has gradually expanded. The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, passed in 1868, granted equal protection of the law, which allowed for non-white men over 21 to vote. The...
Dina Rosin (CMC ’20) Gentrification is broadly considered the process in which a neighborhood increases in property values, as wealthier people move in, which consequently pushes lower-income residents out. Many consider gentrification to be very controversial. While some argue that it improves a city, making it safer and more economically sound, others argue that it is inhumane to...
Dina Rosin (CMC ’20) In 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), otherwise known as “Obamacare,” required establishments selling food and beverages to post calorie counts for their products. Section 4205 of the Act calls for “nutrition labeling of standard menu items at chain restaurants.” Restaurants that have 20 or more locations in the United States are responsible for displaying calorie...
Dina Rosin (CMC ’20) The United States Embassy in Israel is currently located in Tel Aviv, despite the state of Israel considering Jerusalem as its capital city. This is unusual because the U.S. typically situates embassies in capital cities and all other countries’ embassies to Israel are currently located in Tel Aviv. Jerusalem is considered to be a holy city for three major religions...
Dina Rosin (CMC ’20) On October 2, 2017, Sessions v. Dimaya was argued in front of the Supreme Court of the United States. The case involves the rights of non-citizens to invoke the Vagueness Doctrine to challenge immigration policy within the U.S. court system. The decision of the Supreme Court will help determine what constitutional rights are afforded to legal non-citizens residing...
Dina Rosin (CMC ’20) Is baking a cake an act of “speech”? This question is at the heart of the case Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission which will be heard by the Supreme Court of the United States in the fall of 2017. In this case, the Supreme Court will have to decide whether refusing to bake a cake on the basis of religious beliefs is a protected right under the...
Dina Rosin (CMC ’20) The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPCTA) became a federal law in 2009. The act, among other measures, required the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to create graphic warning labels to be displayed on cigarette packing throughout the country. These labels contain “color graphics depicting the negative health consequences of smoking.” The labels...
Dina Rosin (CMC ’20) An ongoing debate over the death penalty has been taking place in Arkansas over the last several weeks. The state is racing to execute convicts before the end of April. This urgency is present because one of the drugs necessary for executions will expire after that date. If Arkansas fails to execute the convicts on death row before the drugs expire, it is unclear if the...
